Postcards from Mina Zayed, 2021
Mina Zayed: Reflections on Past Futures
Warehouse 421, Abu Dhabi, UAE
Photographic postcards and framed prints on fine art paper
February - June 2021
Developed through the year-long photography mentorship program by Warehouse 421 and Dubai-based Gulf Photo Plus, this project responds to the changing landscape of Mina Zayed in Abu Dhabi.
The project Postcards from Mina Zayed takes postcards as a starting point from which to examine the visual makings of a place. As sentimentality and nostalgia play key themes in both my practice and personal approach to living, I collected postcards and studied the visuals and aesthetics that define the concept of a postcard as snapshots of a place and what deems it special. On every trip in the last 15 years, I would purchase a postcard and sit alone during the trip and write on the back of the postcard what I was feeling, what I was seeing, and what I was smelling. This personal collection of postcards serve as a time stamp, a distinct oral and visual memory that moves through time. As the Zayed Port undergoes rapid gentrification and urbanization, these postcards showcase the visuals that create an amalgamation of what I see as defining aspects of the area through the format of traditionally mailed art objects.
Coming from a dynamic interdisciplinary background, my work is often centered on the unnoticed; the seemingly inconsequential details of a place that when combined create a larger image or feeling. The project dissects the aspects and visuals of the place that for me, exemplify the feeling and energy of the Zayed port area. The collage postcards serve as an amalgamation of the textures, colours and visual moments that create my feeling around the place. This exhibition aims to celebrate the history of postcards -- mini pieces of art that served as a thoughtful tool for correspondence since the 19th century-- and to call attention to the dying art of hand-written notes, messages and art pieces, which have been replaced by technological tools and social media. I aimed to celebrate the quiet moments and intimate details that make an experience and a place distinct.
Mina Zayed: Reflections on Past Futures
Each of the 11 artists in the exhibition, including me, developed photographic and art projects around this part of Abu Dhabi, which translates to ‘Zayed Port’. We were supported by a pedagogical structure that guided us through concept and ideation and towards execution, interpretation, and display.
Mina Zayed’s urban plan reflects the role it played as the principle trading gateway for Abu Dhabi, and the area has been vital in the development and growth of the city. For many residents of the city, Mina Zayed is known for its warehouse district, vibrant and diverse fruit and vegetable market, wedding hall, fish and plant market, and large co-op with a variety of shops. Now, as the area undergoes rapid gentrification, many of these vital elements might change, or disappear forever.
My project, Postcards from Mina Zayed, aim to use the concept of the postcard as a starting point from which to examine and explore place-making and the visual language of a place. What are the elements that stood out to me as an artist exploring Mina Zayed? What are the aspects that make it what is it now and how will that change as the area continues to undergo development and change?
As the plans for adaptive reuse of the area continue to develop, this exhibition celebrates not only what Mina Zayed has historically been, nor merely what its potential future may be, but what Mina Zayed is now.
